Before the Beggining
by CokeColaVolleyball113
Summary: Ever wonder how Itex was started? Ever wonder why it was created? Always thought that it was something cruel that no one would want to imagine? Think again. Maybe it is innocence gone wrong, but you never know. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, I had written part of this awhile ago and decided that now I should change it to a fan fiction story. If some words sound like lyrics to a song, they probably are because I like that song and it just fit. I will give anyone who figures out what lyrics I am talking about (along with the song title and artist) the next chapter early. Note: I do not own these lyrics. Sorry for any grammar or spelling (I probably misspelled some names too) mistakes. Lastly, but VERY important, I do NOT own Maximum Ride. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 1

There once was….. No, that will not do. Once upon a time….No, that is written to often. So, I guess I will just tell it to you like it is. I was sitting there, alone, no friends at all. This was everyday, I was alone and I had no friends. You would get used to it, in fact, if someone came up to you, you too would probably be shocked. That is what happened to me, in fact, someone coming up to talk to me changed my life. It was a new year in school, 8th grade. It had been what, fourteen years, since I have had a friend. Well, I did have one friend, but I don't like to talk about it, so technically I have been thirteen years without a friend. I am fourteen years old, I have had one friend my entire life, and I was just shocked because a girl just came and sat down next to me. We did not talk, I certainly was not going to talk, I mean, how should I know what to say? I only had one friend in my entire life. She did not talk either. She was one of the new kids.

The next day she sat by me again and said, "My name is Kalana." I figured the polite thing for me was to say my name in return, but instead I said, "Where did you get your name from?" Well, it might be polite, but I did say it kind of harshly and how should I know if it was polite or not, I haven't had much experience with making friends. Plus, she had a weird name. What was I supposed to do? Pretend she had a fancy name for no reason? I sighed inwardly, sometimes I over think too much.

Kalana was kind enough to ignore me if I was rude and replied, "My parents won't tell me." Then she smiled and giggled. I then tilted my head with a really confused look and knew I had blown it with making friends. The next thing that happened shocked me beyond my wildest imagination.

SHE CONTINUED TO TALK TO ME

"No, it's true, my parents say that I have to figure it out on my own, so honestly I will never know. What is your name? And where did you get your name from?" She giggled at her joke about 'and where did you get your name from?' and I admit, it was funny and I laughed too.

I finally replied, "My name is Iris, and it comes from… you know what? I honestly don't know where my name comes from, I mean I always thought that it came from the plant, but I had never asked my parents and I think it has more meaning than that."

"Well, ask them when you go home tonight, tell me tomorrow. I want to know, because it sounds like a mystery just waiting to be solved." Kalana said innocently.

Inside my head I freaked out. "She doesn't know, she can't know." I say inside my head, over and over again. I must have shown fear on my face because next she said, "What's wrong?" She said it though, with real meaning, with real care, I have never had that before.

I almost cried right there, right then, but somehow, I held my tears and was about to pour out my heart to the kind heart of Kalana.

"My parents," I said shaking, "aren't here anymore."

I said it that simple, that easily, too easily. But it is never simple, never easy. I then said "Excuse me," and left. I was going to cry, I was going to drown in my own tears all over again. The only thing that keeps me breathing is the hope that they will come back, and that hope is starting to disappear. You see, when I was four years old my parents went on a cruise, my best friend had went on the cruise too, and the boat they went on got lost. They were going to take me with them, but then I got sick and they didn't want to take me into the cool ocean air where I could become even sicker. The boat, Rainbow's Bow, got lost in the middle of the trip and people are still looking for the boat today, nine years later.

I am done with this. I am tired of crying, hiding, being alone, and just not knowing. I needed to… Then an idea struck me. Maybe if I could somehow fly, I could look over the ocean and find the ship. I think a plane would work, but then I don't have enough money for that. Plus, I doubt they would listen to a fourteen year old girl.

Walking outside, I see poor Kalana talking to the popular girls when a bird passes overhead and white bird goo lands on one of the popular girls. She screeches and Kalana bursts out laughing. The other popular girls try to help the one covered in goo. They end up getting tissue stuck in her hair and weird stares from onlookers. Now I can't help laughing too. The rest of the student body starts laughing also.

Kalana comes up to me, still laughing, and tells me, "I am so glad that bird flew over right then, the girls were about to make fun of me, I think."

I don't hear anything after bird flew over. "Kalana, you are a genius!"

"Thanks?" She replies to my random outburst.

**A/N Thank you! And please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

**A/N Thank you for reading. Thank you to AriRide for clicking follow and favorite and to VballGal113 for reviewing. Also, please review because I have no idea whether or not you like this. If you are going to flame, please instead say either "*insert flame here*" or that you disliked it and why. Thank you! I do not own Maximum Ride and it may not seem like it yet, but yes, this IS a Maximum Ride fanfiction. Enjoy!**

My idea, from the new girl Kalana, was that… Oh, I can't tell you yet, you might steal it. You'll just have to see my idea play out, I guess. Anyways, I would need some people on my side to help me make this complete. First, I had to finish the school day. During all the class periods after lunch, I was on full plan mode, ignoring the teachers' talking. I wrote down every thing that I needed and that could happen, making my plan either a success or a fail. I am trying to later avoid those fail situations, but in order to avoid them I need to take in the, what will be slim, possibility that I might fail.

After school, I head to my first stop in making the plan happen, the pet shop. I step into Little Paws Big Hearts vet and pet store and am greeted by the racket of animals striving for attention. It hurts my heart not to take them all home, but I am here for a reason. I head over to the bird section and study them. I try to draw sketches of them on my notebook for school, only to epically fail.

One of the veterinarians walks up to me. "Do you need any help?" She questions me. I feel breath on the back of my neck as she looks over my shoulder. I am about to reply an almost silent no when my notebook is ripped from my hands. I hear the vet mumble, "From the look of this, it looks like help is defiantly needed."

I look up for the first time since I started drawing the birds. I am surprised to see that the vet looks fairly young. She then hands me my notebook back and in my hands I see a perfect drawing of the bird that I am looking at. I ask her to draw the bird with its wings open. She looks at me like I am crazy until I open the bird cage and let the bird cling onto my arm. I softly pry open the birds wings and feed it some crumbs that the vet handed to me. The bird lets me and stretches out its wings. The veterinarian draws and the bird doesn't move from its stretched out position.

"You know you are crazy, right?" I jump in my mind as the vet talks, breaking the silence. Then all at once, random thoughts flood through my brain. After gaining my sanity I reply, "I am not crazy, I just gained my sanity back in my mind." She laughs and says, "Forgot to introduce myself, I'm Ellie. Also, I mean you are crazy because that bird has never been 'good' for anyone except me." She gestures randomly while she speaks and the back of mind wonders if she is Italian. I have heard that Italians use hand motions a lot while they talk.

"My name is Iris, and I guess I have a way with animals?" My voice trails off into a high squeak and then I almost run for the exit so I don't embarrass myself anymore. I change my mind because I really didn't feel like running today. "Thank you for drawing this for me, Ellie." She smiles at me. "Just don't get yourself hurt, ok?" I look at her with a confused look on my face. Realization dawned on me that she knew. Others had tried, and from Ellie's expression, I knew they had failed. I replied before my brain knew what I was saying, "Don't worry, I will be back." We both knew that this meant more than just me succeeding at my plan; this meant that Ellie and I were now a team. As I am leaving I hear Ellie whisper, "I know how to succeed, but I trust you know too." Only later did I realize I wasn't supposed to be physically able to hear that.

The next day Kalana was sick from school. I was kind of sad that she wasn't there. It surprised me that not being a loner had felt nice. Then I saw the popular girl who had gotten covered in bird goo making her way toward me. Trust me; she did not look like I was going to let me leave this school alive. Well, this might be fun. "Iris Listex where is your idiot friend Kalana Zlahnm." Bird goo girl greets me. I decide it is easier to ignore her. "Listex, I am talking to you." _Oh sorry, I thought you meant the other Iris Listex. _I think to myself. "Are you going to answer me are what?" From the corner of my eye I see bird goo girl about ready to punch me as hard as she possibly can. I know she won't though; she would risk loosing a nail. I might as well speak now. "Oh, sorry, didn't notice you there." It takes all my willpower to not burst out laughing from her maddened expression. "Iris Listex if you don't answer me I'll… I'll…" Like her threats are going to scare me. Then I remember something that might be nice to know, let's just make her answer me without her knowing. "You are the bird goo girl right? That was hilarious. Also, Kalana is sick today, but whatever you were going to say to her you can say to me." By now the entire student body was watching and now, thanks to me, laughing at bird goo girl, or whatever her name was. She grits her teeth as she replies back to me, "My name is Rachel Bobfit thank you very much and I was going to say that she can NEVER be friends with me and my group." Kalana wanted to be friends with her? Kalana must be trying to be friends with everyone in our grade. Now it is time for Miss Bobfit to get a taste of her own medicine, she already had a taste of bird goo, might as well add her own medicine, too. "Miss Bobfit, I do not think you need to get in a fit over bird goo on your head, plus it is a good thing Kalana isn't going to be friends with jerks like you." With that I left her to be humiliated in front of the rest of our grade.

Once school was finally over, I sprinted over to Little Paws Big Hearts and once I found Ellie, I reported to her what happened at lunchtime. Ellie laughed and made me tell her what happened a million times. Then we got to work on creating fake wings to last a ride over the ocean. I knew it was pointless work. It was nice because I felt that Ellie was, now, my third friend in thirteen years.

Ellie and I worked until the store closed. I was surprised that during this time it was really easy to talk to her. We talked about our lives, our past, our dreams, our hobbies, and animals. I found out she is 25 and just out of collage. She played volleyball for collage, too. I was shocked because that was my parents' favorite sport so I am always playing volleyball in my spare time. I found out Ellie is the owner of Little Paws Big Hearts and the bird who apparently only likes Ellie and me is named Lilyjay. Lilyjay is a white dove with blue streaking throughout its feathers. I found out so many other things about Ellie, too. It is amazing how much we have in common. Our biggest difference between us is Ellie is a little more outgoing and tougher, at least as far as I know.

For days and days we would continue on like this. After school I would come to Little Paws Big Hearts and Ellie and I would work until it closed. Kalana was absent from school for the three weeks that I worked on the wings with Ellie. It worried me to no end where she could be. Even though I only knew her for two days, she was already my friend. Now, it felt, again I lost a friend.

This made me work that much harder as the weeks passed by. Once the second week was through everything was routine again. Be alone for school, rush to Little Paws Big Hearts, work on the wings till dusk, sleep, wake up, go to school, be alone for school, and so on. At least Ellie is entertaining and different everyday.

The start of the fourth week, Kalana still wasn't at school. Only then did I start to realize that she wasn't sick. Kalana was gone for some reason, and I did not know that reason. It was like with my parents, they were gone and I wanted to get them back. I started each day with a plan after that. Ellie helped me after school was over that day. I probably shouldn't show you this, but here is my plan.

Plan

Stop going to school, no one is there that I care about anyways -Forever

Find out what Kalana's name means- Tuesday

Find Kalana's parents and see what information they have- Tuesday after step 2

See if Kalana's parents know where Kalana is- Tuesday with step 3

**FIND KALANA- ASAP/ Start Wednesday**(probably after steps 1-4)

Help Kalana if she is in trouble- after step 5

Inform Kalana about, well, everything- after step 6

Continue this plan- after steps 1-7 are completed

After writing my plan, I do something I don't think I have done for three weeks; sleep.


End file.
